Thursday, 06 March 2003

I've been so busy lately that I've not only fallen behind in my journal writing, I've fallen behind in my journal reading, which is virtually unheard of.

Busy though I am at my day job, it is at least the good kind of busy--the kind where I'm being successful. I went through a rough patch a while back, and found it very discouraging. Now that things are going better I'm much more cheerful, despite the obstinate persistence of winter.

I wrote that yesterday. Today I found out that one of the projects I've been working on has been mostly canceled. I was initially annoyed, but after a bit of reflection, I realize that I'm actually over it. These things happen.

I think it's the season, actually. I left work promptly at 5:00 PM today (because I was annoyed) and walked out into the parking lot with the temperature above freezing and the sun still fairly high in the sky. Obstinate it has been, but winter is finally giving way. By the time I got home I wasn't annoyed any more.

Life is good.

We went to the Fitness Center again, third time in a week. Jackie still has a sore back (a virus, I think--she'd had a cold over the weekend) and didn't lift. But we walked together, and then Jackie went to sauna and jacuzzi while I lifted.

I got in a good workout, pushing myself just a bit.

At Clarion Dora told me that she scrupulously avoided caffeine (to the extent, if I remember correctly, that she doesn't even drink decaf coffee or eat chocolate). I told her the story about my friend Harry who said he'd given up caffeine and reported, "It's not so bad, once you accept the fact that you'll never again feel completely awake."

I've told that story a few times. It's a funny line, and it's especially funny because Harry hadn't really given up caffeine--he was still drinking coffee on the weekends. He'd just given up drinking it at work.

But Dora told me that it's especially wonderful to be awake all the time, without having to get a jolt of caffeine to really wake up.

I've been off caffeine more than a week now, so I'm kind of waiting for that to kick in. It hasn't, though. I was kind of drowsy all day. Partly the workout, maybe. Partly because of a long string of boring meetings. Whatever it was, I think I'll go to bed now.